Ok first post so be gentle :P

I'm sick of fitting my rear mounted bike rack, parading said bike around the neighbourhood, increasing drag and petrol costs which arn't great anyway on my old VW Polo.

For the last month have been looking at various small vans due to load capacity and great fuel economy. budget of £3000-£4000 (Vw Caddy, Berlingo, Kangoo and the people carrier alternatives for the rear seats)

All of the above still leaves me having to take the front wheel off and gives me quite an ugly looking vehicle. The disc brakes I use need need resetting everytime I remove front wheel :thumbdwn:

Today I seen a picture of a fully assembled bike on its side in a Octavia Estate :eek: been doing some research and 50-60mpg in the 1.9SDI and TDI versions looks great.

1. Any thoughts on the above?

2. SDI or worth paying a bit more for the TDI?

3. Can anyone elaborate on this 2 inch step in the boot ive read about?

4. If any ones *really* bored would be great to get a load length measurement in the estate with the seats down ( bike is 71 inch's long, or without front wheel 58 inches long. )

5. Would Fabia's be worth looking at as well?

6. Any particular year models to look at? ie 2004+ etc

7. Final question Seen a lot of TDI's for sale @ 150,000 + miles, would this be too high?

Thanks in advance

(Hoping soon to join the Skoda club)

Hi,

We have an TDi Elegance estate (2001 Y). Had it 7 years now (91k) and its been great.(still looks like new)

Bought it cause we are cyclists and wanted to get both bikes in back (both MTB & road) plus all camping gear etc. Bikes go in with wheels on (one on top of other with old duvet between). The only downside is the bikes will not stand up (but then it would be a van).

For trips I take out flip up rear seat bases which increases load length and access to well behind front seats.

The Elegance estate has the false boot floor so you do not have the lip and gain out of site under floor storage.

On trips we always get 55-60+mpg.

Not sure about 150k cars but some on here have mega miles, suppose as long as its got good history and had cam belt changed as per.

I will measure load bay length later 4 you and post.

I managed to get an old bath in the back of mine the other week on a trip to the tip - so just short of 1.7m long IIRC. That was with the seats folded down, obviously...

I had a 42u 19inch rack in the back of mine. The boot of a Mk1 octy estate really is a tardis.

i only have a hatch, but can easily drop a bike in with the rear seats down, if i want more security i can get two bikes in the boot if i take the wheels out.

I am six foot and can just about lie down in the back with the rear seats down.

Pretty much in agreement with all of the above. The space under the false floor in the Elegance and L&K models (presume also pre-facelift SLX) is enough to hold a decent toolkit (jump leads, spanners, socket set etc, emergency triangle, some first aid boxes, emergency foul weather gear), and still leave the overfloor uncluttered.

On the "which version" question, the SDi is non-turbo, 68bhp, and slow.

TDi comes in 3 versions, all black lettered 90bhp, normally in Classic or Ambiante trim, 110bhp TDi in Elegance (and maybe early L&K) trim, and 130bhp, 6 speed box TDi in Lauren & Klemens trim. Pedants please note, this ignores run out specials.

I'm a Tweed Valley regular and could literally throw my lovely Reign in the boot of my now departed Mk1 Elegance, with both wheels on - provided I folded the seats down.

Only thing was you needed to put a blanket/sheet on the back of the front seats to stop them getting covered in mud from the front wheel which sat at an angle.

I preferred to drop the 1/3 split and take out the front wheel and saddle, wind the forks in and have the bike sat upright and bungeed to the side. Sounds like your brakes wouldn't like that though.

Niall

You should have no problem getting a fully assembled bike in the Octy, you don't even need the estate... The hatch is just as cavernous, but slightly less height in the boot which you don't need for just bikes.

All of the above heartily seconded. My VRS estate takes 3 bikes and 3 people, helmets, bags - stuff for a weekend away - whatever you need.

AND it matches my Intense 6.6 []

I'm also a drummer, and I've had my full kit, guitarist's gear, full house PA and more crap than you can shake a stick at with no problems.

Hi,

We have an TDi Elegance estate (2001 Y). Had it 7 years now (91k) and its been great.(still looks like new)

Bought it cause we are cyclists and wanted to get both bikes in back (both MTB & road) plus all camping gear etc. Bikes go in with wheels on (one on top of other with old duvet between). The only downside is the bikes will not stand up (but then it would be a van).

For trips I take out flip up rear seat bases which increases load length and access to well behind front seats.

The Elegance estate has the false boot floor so you do not have the lip and gain out of site under floor storage.

On trips we always get 55-60+mpg.

Not sure about 150k cars but some on here have mega miles, suppose as long as its got good history and had cam belt changed as per.

I will measure load bay length later 4 you and post.

So they fit in with rear seats installed as well just flipped forward?

Really like the sound of the Elegance false boot floor, - so basically in other models you gain 2 inch extra depth and the ledge due to lack of trapdoor?

I've been trying to find detailed pics of interiors on the stock cars but so far have only been turning up mods/pimps :confused:

The measurement would be superb

i only have a hatch, but can easily drop a bike in with the rear seats down, if i want more security i can get two bikes in the boot if i take the wheels out.

I am six foot and can just about lie down in the back with the rear seats down.

I'm very surprised a hatch will fit one in :eek: Hmmmmmm possible option. How easy is it to get the bike fully assembled into a hatch? I imagine in an estate you can sort of sideways roll it in. Hatch more fiddling?

Pretty much in agreement with all of the above. The space under the false floor in the Elegance and L&K models (presume also pre-facelift SLX) is enough to hold a decent toolkit (jump leads, spanners, socket set etc, emergency triangle, some first aid boxes, emergency foul weather gear), and still leave the overfloor uncluttered.

On the "which version" question, the SDi is non-turbo, 68bhp, and slow.

TDi comes in 3 versions, all black lettered 90bhp, normally in Classic or Ambiante trim, 110bhp TDi in Elegance (and maybe early L&K) trim, and 130bhp, 6 speed box TDi in Lauren & Klemens trim. Pedants please note, this ignores run out specials.

I've been looking at the Classic, Ambiante, and Elegance are these actually the Octavia II?

TDi sounds like the one to go for, if i'm reading Parkers properly it seems 90bhp is 54 mpg, 110 bhp is 53 mpg and 130 bhp is 51mpg.

Quite liking the sound of the 90 and 110 engines. (plus 3 insurance groups lower than 130)

Niall, Tom and Jakester thanks for confirming a full bike can fit any pics of bikes loaded in car if you have any lying around on desktop would be great

Classic et al are the trim levels from the A4 (Octavia 1) facelift on, including A5 (Octavia 2). Easily distinguised from prefacelift cars by the change in trim badges and the clear headlight shields.

The Parker's mpg figures are, if anything, pesimistic compared with my experience. I got 60mpg (based on recorded mileage, and fuel to fill) from a 90, and can get 55 or so from my 110 on long runs. Don't get too "hung up" on insurance groups; replacing a gp5 car with the Octy cost me £50 a year, fully comp, protected NCD...

As i said you need to put the seats down, which gives you just short of 6foot to play with. If you take out the cargo shelf you don't need it and it just gets in the way. the bike can be dropped complete in to the boot.

for 24/12 last year i dropped the 1/3 split rear seat, removed the front wheel and seat post and just put the bike upright in the car, camping kit around it.

Mine is a GL TDI, which is basically a prefacelift Ambient (Ambient applies to post facelift mk 1 and to mk 2)

Life is probably a bit easier with an estate but the hatch is no shorter, just lacks some of the headroom.

Really like the sound of the Elegance false boot floor, - so basically in other models you gain 2 inch extra depth and the ledge due to lack of trapdoor?

On the Elegance, you can remove the whole of the false floor, giving you the drop to the real boot floor. I generally keep my false floor in, but when I have the dogs in the car I take it out, as then the dogs are a bit lower in the car, and I have an only sheet for them to sit on, rather than making the carpet all mucky. Plus once dogs are out, I just drop the false floor back in - covering up a couple of tool kits, as mentioned by Ken.

FYI.

Had a quick measure up:

Seats down with bases flipped up 69" 1.75cm

Seats down with bases removed 73" 185cm (would be similar with bases in place but seats just dropped on top of them.

This is with the front seats right back and in a straight line from tailgate.

Hope this helps.

I've had both the MK1 octi hatch and estate and have carried my MTB in the back with the seats down without removing anything from the bike although I do find the car easier to pack if I remove the seat post.

My hatch was the vRS so didnt have the false floor but is had rear strut braces in which didn't cause a problem suprisingly, my estate is the elegance and has the false floor removed, I don't see the point in carrying around extra weight that I dont need, the only time I fit my false floor is when I buying wood etc which needs to be kept flat as the false floor creates a flat load area.

I think on my vrs the rear seat backs unlock and come out. I only noticed this last week when going to dump so stuff down the tip. I folded them forwards and they seemed to unlock on the door side. I was in a rush and didn't investigate further so maybe they don't unlock in the middle of the split.

HTH

FYI.

Had a quick measure up:

Seats down with bases flipped up 69" 1.75cm

Seats down with bases removed 73" 185cm (would be similar with bases in place but seats just dropped on top of them.

This is with the front seats right back and in a straight line from tailgate.

Hope this helps.

Thanks Nic, that is a great help

If anyone gets chance to get any pics of the difference between 'Seats down with bases flipped up' and 'bases in place but seats just dropped on top of them.' not having played with the rear seats on an octy yet i'm not 100% how this works :P

I think I've settled on the Estate for increased headroom. Got a few insurance quotes yesterday and the Classic and Ambiente work out @ £300 a year, the Elegance £360 a year. I'm also considering only looking @ March 2001 upwards models as the road tax is based on emissions thus cheaper

The Elegance is usefully faster than the Classic or Ambiente, and has a nicer spec (standard climate control, all round electric windows and a 6 CD stacker). The road tax saving demonstrates just what a nonsense the Govt are making of environ mentalism!